


Of Hats, Closets, and Safety Blankets

by nanlicia



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M, Meet-Cute, Pre-Keagster Shenanigans, Pre-Relationship, mild misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-21 04:37:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11350005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanlicia/pseuds/nanlicia
Summary: Justin was ready for an epic birthday #keagster. Ready to chill and let the day wash over him as it came. But he was not exactly ready for Professional NHL Athlete and All Around Gloriously Attractive Alexei "Tater" Mashkov to be standing in his Haus. Maybe if he'd been ready for that he wouldn't have embarrassed himself so much. Maybe it didn't even matter though, because holy shit Alexei Mashkov touched his bicep and he then he didn't. let. go.





	Of Hats, Closets, and Safety Blankets

Justin woke feeling lighter than air. The single window in the attic was cracked open and he could hear the sounds of the neighborhood going about their morning: soft bird songs, indistinct voices, and the sound of an ice cream truck’s tune a couple streets over.

 

What an easy, breezy, beautiful day.

 

He stretched languidly, enjoying that he didn’t even know the time of day. He’d just let himself sleep and then wake naturally. How quaint.

 

This weekend was gonna be like that - simple and unforced and fun. He, Holster and Lardo had agreed to go all out this weekend but to do it with like. Ease.

 

No one was gonna get wound up. No one was gonna stress out or keep schedules or argue when things didn’t go “right”, because there wasn’t gonna be a “right”. He’d even not made an Excel sheet for Keagster, he was that committed to going with the flow this weekend.

 

Things were starting to get down to the end of the year and they would be stressing over All That soon enough; they deserved some easy-going fun times.

 

That’s why he let himself squirm around in his bed for a bit that morning, legs tangling in his sheets and arms under his pillow, enjoying the feel of how cool everything was. He reveled in not having to be anywhere except comfy in his own bed.

 

After a bit he got out of bed, hopping down from his bunk, and then grabbing his phone from the charger to check the time. Twelve noon was not a bad time to be awake on a Saturday, he supposed.

 

He looked for some clothes, and put on his favorite pair of white jean shorts that hug his ass just right, and a tank top he was pretty sure originally belonged to Holster but which he’d had in his drawer since the last time they did laundry together.

 

(They threw their clothes in the machine together, so what? Bros mix their clothes and don’t cry over it, ok?)

 

He walked down the stairs from the attic and went into the bathroom for his morning routine. Washed his face, brushed his teeth, applied deodorant and some lotion and then thought about what cologne he’d use later tonight as he stared at himself in the mirror.

 

Checked his good side. Then the other good side. Justin smirked at himself in the mirror.

 

“This whooole thing,” he said, waving a hand around his face. “Good side.”

 

He winked at his reflection.

 

Just as he turned to exit the small bathroom he saw his favorite hat hanging from one of the towel hooks and grabbed it as he walked out.

 

_This is gonna tie the outfit together_ , he thought. Then he rounded the corner, bumped right into someone and promptly dropped the hat.

 

“Shit, sorry-”

 

“Ahh, sorry!”

 

Justin took a step back and blinked several times.

 

No. Way.

 

Standing there right in front of him, sheepish grin on his face, was Alexei Mashkov.

 

Ahem.

 

_Alexei Mashkov.  
_

_  
_NHL pro athlete, Alexei “Tater” Mashkov. In all his glorious glorifying glory. Standing. Right in front of Justin. In his own Haus. Right there. Presently. At that exact same moment as Justin just so happened to be standing there. On the second floor landing. Eye contact abound. Standing in front of him. In his own Haus. Right there. Alexei Mashkov.

 

“Uhhhhhhh,” Justin said, eloquently. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Mashkov said. “I don’t see you there, ha.”

 

“Uhh,, yeah. Um, no yeah, I - I didn’t uh, I didn’t see, uh you either.”

 

Holy shit Justin is so smooth what the  _hell_?

 

“Ha, is ok!” Mashkov said, and then he _clapped a hand on Justin’s shoulder_ , what the  _hell_?!

 

The sound Justin emitted was perhaps most likely known as a squeak. Maybe. 

 

“I’m looking for restroom?” Mashkov asked, sliding his hand down to Justin’s bicep and  _homygod_ Justin could’ve ascended right there on the second floor landing of his own Haus standing just outside the restroom with NHL pro athlete and gloriously attractive Alexei Mashkov’s large hands on him. 

 

“Uh, it’s um, it’s just,” Justin stuttered, pointing over his shoulder. 

 

Mashkov’s eyes shifted just over his shoulder and he nodded. 

 

“Right, great, perfect.”

 

Then he looked down at Justin and smiled, his fingers squeezing slightly where they were  _still gripping Justin’s bicep_  holy fuck. 

 

Justin laughed nervously, hoping he could put on a dazzling smile of his own but in reality he knew he probably was cringing so hardcore. But Mashkov didn’t seem bothered. Somehow he hadn’t made to go toward the restroom either, he just kinda. Stayed there. Smiling at Justin and holding onto his arm, maintaining eye contact. 

 

Justin could’ve stared into those eyes his entire goddamn life, they were so beautiful. 

 

“So… you live in house?” Mashkov asked. 

 

As Justin nodded yes he thought about how soft his voice was, and how sweet his eyes were, and how gentle his hold on his arm was. These were things he didn’t know about this man two minutes ago and these were things he got to know now because Alexei Mashkov was currently in  _physical contact_  with him and had been for more than 60 seconds and he was initiating a conversation with Justin and not removing his hand and Justin was gonna faint. 

 

“What your name?” Mashkov asked. 

 

“Justin!” Justin all but shouted, leaning into the other man as he started to smile even wider. “My name’s Justin.”

 

At least now he was speaking in full sentences. 

 

“Justin,” Mashkov repeated, eyes traveling over Justin’s face and then dipping lower for a moment before coming back up. “Is good name, for good man.”

 

“Haha, ah thanks,” Justin said, and he wasn’t sure exactly what that meant but he didn’t care because when Alexei had glanced down and then back up his cheeks had kinda flushed and it was both incredibly cute and entirely flattering. 

 

“I am Alexei-”

 

“Alexei Mashkov, yeah!” Justin interrupted. “I know, I’m a huge fan!”

 

Alexei’s smile seemed to tighten slightly and Justin instantly knew he’d said something wrong and wanted to sink into the floor. He was acting like such a fool, such a desperate fanboy hanging all over him and fumbling over his own words and getting in the other man’s way and keeping him from the damn restroom, how absolutely embarrassing!

 

“Uh, look, I’m so sorry,” Justin said, pulling away and backing toward the attic door. 

 

He tried not to think too much about the surprised and then concerned look on Alexei’s face as he did so. That was not disappointment flitting its way across the other man’s face, that was probably awkward shock at Justin’s sudden actions and damn but Justin couldn’t do a single thing right. 

 

“I won’t keep you, I’ll just go-”

 

“But wait-”

 

“No it’s ok, really, uh, go - go ahead and uh…” 

 

He backed into the door and reached behind himself to twist the doorknob and then shoved his whole body through the door and slammed it shut once on the other side. 

 

He stayed there standing in the dark stairwell for he didn’t know how long, breathing heavily and thinking back over what had just happened. How he’d stuttered and stood right in the middle of the hall way and just froze like a deer in headlights and let himself lean all into the other man’s personal space when he was just trying to find the damn bathroom?!

 

How. Mortifying. 

 

He ran up the stairs two at a time and threw himself into Holster’s bunk, burrowing himself in the five blankets that oaf kept on his bed and even pulling the pillows around himself. 

 

If he could surround himself with a bunch of these little barriers, he figured, and curl up tight as possible, maybe everything about what he had just done downstairs wouldn’t be able to find him up here or settle in his brain or play on repeat like some sort of sick bloopers reel for obnoxiously annoying moments in Justin’s life. 

 

Maybe. 

 

!.!.!.!

 

Alexei stared at the shut door for a moment, unsure if knocking on it might bring Justin back out or if he’d stay in there. Was it a closet? Was he really hiding in a closet in order to stay away from him? What had he even done to make him react like that suddenly?

 

Alexei wasn’t really sure but he did know that if someone no longer wanted to be around him then he wasn’t going to try to force him. 

 

He figured now was probably an alright time to return to B’s room. He had only begged the excuse of needing the restroom in order to give him and Zimmboni some privacy. It’d been long enough. 

 

As he turned around his foot kicked something and he looked down to see it was a white hat. Justin had it in his hands when he came out of the restroom. 

 

He picked it up and glanced back at the closet door, wondering if he should leave it where the other man could get it when he came out of there. But a selfish little voice in his head said that if he kept hold of it, then Justin would have to seek him out for it. Or at the very least it could be an easy conversation topic to let them speak again. 

 

Maybe once he came out and downstairs he’d see Alexei with it and approach him for it. Then Alexei could speak with him over drinks, maybe share some jam, maybe touch his arms again. They were really nice arms. Maybe later he could touch more than that. Ok, this was an excellent plan. 

 

He found Jack and B just about to exit the room when he walked back, and he let them guide him back downstairs, but not before he spared one final glance at the closet door in the corner. 

 

When they got down there more of the Samwell Hockey team had arrived, and he was introduced to everyone. They were all really fun, nice, interesting people and Alexei found himself enjoying every minute of time spent with Jack’s friends. 

 

He liked knowing that the man had a good family here, liked knowing that these people are where Jack came from and knowing that he could always return to them. It was a comforting thing for Alexei to witness. Such camaraderie and open affection, it was pleasant and no less than everything Jack deserved, because he’s a good guy. 

 

When Jack’s friend Lardo challenged him to a round of beer pong he hesitated at first, because he didn’t want to get too inebriated because if he showed back up in Providence drunk in the early afternoon on a Saturday during Playoffs season, well. He’d really be in some shit. 

 

But then Jack promised to get him home safe, and Holster promised it was just plain ol’ beer in the cups and nothing over 7% alcohol so he agreed to it. 

 

“You gonna play with that in your hands the whole time?” Lardo had asked, nodding at the hat which he was still carrying around. 

 

“Uh, no,” he replied, glancing around and seeing no sign of the beautiful Justin. Making a quick decision he put it on his head backwards, cracked his knuckles and nodded at Lardo from his place across the table from her. “Let’s start.”

 

“He means business,” Holster said, and Lardo just smiled and said “Good” before starting the game. 

 

Throughout the game Alexei kept glancing towards the stairs, towards the doors, towards the windows, towards anything where he saw even a little movement hoping it was Justin reemerging, but the other man never made a reappearance. 

 

If Alexei wanted to he could blame that on why he lost pong but in all honesty it didn’t matter. Lardo was a pong queen. 

 

“Pong legend!” Holster shouted, tipping his solo cup in her direction and toasting to her. 

 

Alexei smiled kindly at her as she leaned into his side and let him throw an arm around her shoulders. “Pong master,” he said. 

 

“Pong God,” she replied, smirking up at him. 

 

Alexei laughed and looked across at Holster who was equally amused. “Pong God!” they shouted, and Lardo laughed and pinched Alexei in the side as he crushed her into him. 

 

“I take picture with you!” he said, pulling away to look down at her. “Must proclaim your holiness for all world to see!”

 

“Haha, what?! No way!” she was laughing and shaking her head at him. “You’re gonna put me on your insta?”

 

“Hell yes!” he said, bringing the camera up on his phone and then handing it to Holster. “Be cameraman!”

 

Once the other man took the phone from him Alexei turned to Lardo and smiled. “How you want pose?”

 

She seemed to consider it for a moment, her mouth pursing as she shifted from foot to foot. “On your broad-ass shoulders,” she said finally, and Alexei could only laugh. 

 

“I put you on shoulders you hit head on ceiling! Here!” he bent down and scooped her up and she placed a hand behind his shoulders as he held her up. 

 

“Ok, Holster, picture time!”

 

When Alexei got his phone back he had about seven snapshots of the moment, and he could only smile at how great that was. Jack’s friends were just. So great. 

 

By the time they were packing the car up to leave Alexei was consigned to the fact he wasn’t going to see Justin again before they left. He still wasn’t sure what had went wrong, but he was sure that he couldn’t stop hoping to get another chance to speak to Justin and maybe it could go right that time. 

 

He acted quickly while in the kitchen, digging through drawers until he found what he was looking for, then right before he headed out with the last of the boxes of jars of jam, he found Holster and handed the hat to him. 

 

“Do me favor? Give this to Justin?”

 

“Sure thing,” Holster said, reaching out to take it from him. 

 

Alexei pulled it back, saying “Careful with it, ‘kay?”

 

“Uh, ok.”

 

After another moment of watching Holster he handed it over, ensuring the other man carefully took it from him and then cradled it against his stomach. 

 

“Thanks,” Alexei said, then he walked over to the kitchen to get the last couple of boxes and be on his way out of Samwell, silently hoping to himself that this wasn’t the last he’d see of the place. 

 

As he went to walk out with a box in his arms, he glanced at the stairs where Holster had just walked up and disappeared around the bend. 

 

There was definitely a chance this wouldn’t be the end of his time at Samwell. 

 

!.!.!.!.!

 

“Ransom?” 

 

Justin sighed deeply from his safety blanket cocoon on his best friend’s bed. 

 

“Holster, I already told you I’m not going back down there, I made a fool of myself enough.”

 

“Yeah, I know,” Holster said, and Justin felt the bed dip as he took a seat at the edge of the mattress. “He’s leaving anyway, so you can go down and eat something soon.”

 

Justin tried not to be upset at the news they were leaving, but really the entire thing made him upset. When Holster had come running up the stairs earlier to tell him Lardo was gonna challenge Alexei to a game of beer pong and Justin definitely wanted to come down and watch, Justin could only think about the myriad of ways he could embarrass himself. 

 

He wasn’t going to put himself or Alexei through that. Again. 

 

So he’d stayed in the attic, safely tucked away and not acting a fool downstairs. 

 

“Did uh, did Lards beat him at pong?” he asked.

 

Holster huffed. “Yeah, man, it was great. Then he picked her up and had me take a picture of them that he’s gonna post to Instagram tomorrow. Should’ve seen Lardo’s face bro, she was so excited.”

 

“Ha, lucky her.”

 

_Don’t be bitter Justin_ , he tells himself. It doesn’t really work. 

 

“Yeah,” Holster says. “She was lucky. But uh. So were you?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“Ransom you’re probably not gonna fuckin’ believe this. But he wore your hat.”

 

Justin let that sit for a second. A beat. A moment. 

 

“I…. I’m sorry,” he said, eyes narrowing as he stared at the red fuzzy blanket that was currently around him. “What did you just say?”

 

“Yeah man, he actually legitimately wore your hat. Like. In real life.”

 

Justin kicked and shoved and flailed until all the blankets that were once around him were off him completely. Holster had jumped back and off the bed, and when Justin emerged he was looking at him with his I’m Totally Judging You Right Now face. Justin couldn’t find it in him to care. 

 

“Repeat-” his gaze fell on the hat in Holster’s hand, his favorite hat, the one he’d had this morning when he’d run into Alexei and proceeded to be an absolute wreck, the one he’d dropped on the floor and never picked back up  _homygod…_

 

“Holtzy if you’re fucking with me-”

 

“No, bro, no way! He totes wore it while playing pong man!”

 

Justin couldn’t take his eyes off the hat. Two minutes ago it was just a normal hat. His ordinary white hat, his favorite hat. Now? Now it was his favorite hat which Alexei Mashkov had worn??

 

“Gimme,” he said, making grabby hands at it. 

 

Holster chuckled, shaking his head as he stepped forward. “Ok, but careful with it, ‘kay?”

 

“What?”

 

“That’s what he said when he handed it to me. He said ‘Do me a favor and give this to Justin? Be careful with it, ‘kay.”

 

“OhmygodHolster gimme my fuckin hat ohmygodohmygodohmygod.”

 

Holster laughed as he handed it over, and Justin felt like he was gonna combust. 

 

Alexei had picked up his hat and proceeded to wear it, and then when asking that it be returned to him he asked that it be taken care of. Justin was literally going to faint, this man was too good to be true. Too kind and sweet and gentle and Justin need to stop thinking about when he’d had his hand on his arm because that was too good a memory but damn if Justin wasn’t somehow being blessed? Even as he was being cursed?

 

“I couldn’t speak to him because I’m a mess, but he still wore my hat I don’t get it but also I don’t even care I’m going to treasure this forever!”

 

Justin clutched the hat to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking back and forth. 

 

“Yeah, ok, I’m uh, I’m gonna give you two a moment,” Holster said, and he left the attic. 

 

“I cannot believe this,” Justin said, holding the hat in his lap and running his fingers over it reverently. 

 

It wasn’t any different than it had been earlier that morning. There wasn’t anything particularly new about it. All the same it was now something altogether more than ever before and Justin really planned on treasuring the hat forever. 

 

He let his fingers run over the bill of the hat, then along the seams as he turned it over in his hands. When he did he noticed a small piece of paper tucked under one of the excess flaps of fabric along the inner seam, and he carefully pulled it out and unfolded it. 

 

_I hope you ok in closet. Call me if ever want company there. Or anywhere really._

_401-555-6234_

_-Alexei a.k.a. Tater!_

 

What _._

 

What the fuck.

 

Justin stared at the little note and he wasn’t sure what the hell this meant but honestly?

 

Alexei Mashkov had given him his phone number. 

 

Alexei thought Justin was in the closet? He thought Justin had run away because of that? He still took the time to write a sweet note and offer comfort and also say hey hmu if you ever wanna chill?

 

Alexei Mashkov had given him his phone number??

 

Justin didn’t know what the hell to think or do, and he just sat there, staring at the paper, running his thumb over the word ‘Tater’ and committing the number to memory. 

 

The sounds of voices in the front yard carried through the open window and he heard Alexei say “Okay, bye Samwell!” and Lardo telling him to come back for a re-match. 

 

Justin let himself smile as he really let it sink in that that guy out there had given him his number. 

 

“Yeah! Um!!!” He shouted, feeling his face split into the widest smile and feeling himself start to become really excited at the possibilities this number provided. “B-bye Tater!!”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been crying since the update about this hat situation on tumblr so i had to write about it. If you too, feel strongly about this, or anything else check please related, feel free to cry w me about it in the comments here or in my asks over there. I'm @nanlicia there too :)


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